these skratchings of mine (Updated 22 Feb)

**pogy366** · February 8th, 2006, 11:07 PM

... might as well jump right in and see how bad i break my neck. This first batch of sketches is what i threw down in the past two days after a long, long time of doing absolutely nothing.

i have a lot to learn (and re-learn) so i hope to show some improvement over time. i plan to add as much as i can in the hopes that i can get some feedback from any and all that might take the time to look in here.

-hands have always been a major problem with me

-an attempt to stick to a more comic style with the hands

-15 minute sketch

-just some faces

-yet another face... in the hopes i could capture the same image from a different angle

-this is pretty much my first doodle in CS2 with my new tablet. It would be an understatement to say that i have lots to learn here. Aside from that, the doodle follows the style of my charcoal sketches.

So what do you think? Please let me know...

**pogy366** · February 9th, 2006, 10:51 AM

... this is my first stab at digital coloring in PS7 by following a tutorial at http://www.steeldolphin.com and using line art by Jimmy R. Vann.

Looking at it again i realized that i deserve a fat slap to the back of the head for my color selection... it's pretty lacking there.

**pogy366** · February 11th, 2006, 05:06 PM

... yet more craptacular sketches.

i'm really looking forward to my figure drawing class. i plan on soaking in as much as possible so that this lousy string of sketches can become a reference point to some improvement.

**pogy366** · February 14th, 2006, 10:29 PM

... this time i went with a reference and i think it helped a bit.

i'm planning on working some more on this one, so i'll post the next version before long.

**pogy366** · February 15th, 2006, 10:43 AM

... i'm pretty glad to be a part of an ssg and i'm looking forward to swapping feedback. But i can't help but to feel like the red-headed, chubby kid at the back of the class trying to keep pace with the rest of the group.

But i guess on the positive side of that, is there's no where to go but up.

**staylor** · February 15th, 2006, 12:43 PM

Originally Posted by pogy366

... i'm pretty glad to be a part of an ssg and i'm looking forward to swapping feedback. But i can't help but to feel like the red-headed, chubby kid at the back of the class trying to keep pace with the rest of the group.

But i guess on the positive side of that, is there's no where to go but up.

I wouldn't worry about that, we've all got a lot of learning to do, and more people will hopefully join the sketchbook, so we'll have a wide variety of styles and skill levels.

I think you're headed in the right direction. Drawing bones and muscle structures will help you improve. And your reffed work is coming out quite well!

**Inkfish** · February 15th, 2006, 11:57 AM

Hey there!

I just finished looking through your sb here. I think you have a good start here and the photo ref'd stuff looks good. If you want suggestions you might want to try to do still life stuff. (like cups and boxes and such just the primay forms) It will greatly improve your understanding of the form. I'm a bit hard pressed for time right now, so i can't give any specific crits or comments right now, but will do so in the future when you update again.

Can i ask how much you draw every day, and what are your goals?

peace
Antti

**pogy366** · February 15th, 2006, 12:06 PM

Inkfish - thanks. Focusing on basic shapes seems like the way to go. Think i'll do that. No sense running helter skelter with the sketchbook when i need the basics.

i juggle a fulltime job and some freelance web design, so while it seems like i don't have a lot of free time, there is and i just need to DRAW!

i try and stick to at least an hour or 2 hours a day for sketching right now.

Eventually i want to just be good or at least hold my own with illustration. i figure this will help me with designing better web sites (visually) as well as give me back the rewarding feeling of creating art.

**Inkfish** · February 18th, 2006, 09:39 AM

Hey Pogy. The colorjob looks good so far.If you are aiming for cell-shaded colouring with this it looks good. If you want to make it look more real you might want to add some darker and lighter values to it in order to make it look more 3d, some shadows might help too.

**pogy366** · February 18th, 2006, 04:31 PM

... thanks Ink. i was thinking only of doing the cell coloring. Once i'm more familiar with my tablet and everything that goes with the brush settings in PS, i think i'll push my painting further.

**staylor** · February 19th, 2006, 08:50 PM

I think, if you wanted to improve the cell-shading then you could also make those shades darker too. Right now the shading on the skull is really faint, even for cell shading.

I really like some of the gradients you used though, they help make it more interesting and the gradient behind the skeleton helps bring the focus onto him. Good job on that.

**godrifle** · February 21st, 2006, 10:02 AM

Hey Pogy, I like what you're doing. You're at a beginner level but you're already going to figure drawing class. That's very good.

You need to have some finished drawings, I'm talking no references, that way you know where you're weak on. Or at least so WE know. It's very good to draw from reference, but you need to break from that just to see where you are and what you've learned so far.

**pogy366** · February 21st, 2006, 10:10 AM

Michael - thanks for the crit. Seems strange to be called a beginer at 35.

- and a bit depressing.

i've normally just drawn what comes to mind. For now i'm thinking of working on figures, perspectives and proportions. i'd like to take that and apply it to a style that more suits me and allows me just spill my guts (so to speak) on the "canvas" but remain strong in the underlying structure.

thanks for takign a look!

**Saise** · February 21st, 2006, 10:15 AM

Nice Skeleboy and nice colored BoobPatrol Girl :>
Nice ones, keep UP.

**pogy366** · February 21st, 2006, 10:23 AM

Saise - thanks for taking a look

**rodrigo!** · February 22nd, 2006, 07:00 AM

when drawing hands and faces, break them down into simple shapes! there was a saying somewhere that you can draw anything from a sphere, a box and a cone or something similar, and its true! you can break down the hand into simple cylinder shapes to help you dfraw it in a more 3D way..same thing goes for the face- the cranium can be a sphere-ish shape, and so on....try looking at objects and trying to visualise the simple shalpes. just practice drawing these shapes n stuff-- when we have toruble with drawing its usually related back to basic stuff like this.

**pogy366** · February 22nd, 2006, 10:24 AM

rodrigo - thanks brother. i've decided i need to fight the urge to draw other subjects when my basics are so lacking. i've picked up some books and online tutorials explaining what you pointed out.

i'm also positive that i can learn from your work there in your sketchbook.

So i'm doing shapes and trying to grasp the whole shading thing (it's always escaped me). Then i'll focus on the figure and work from there.

Thanks for the crit.

**pogy366** · February 22nd, 2006, 09:29 PM

... while i should really scan in my sketches of basic shapes, i played around the tablet and PS with the brushes hoping to get the hang of what does what. The following craptastic doodles are the end result.

i promise to scan the basics in a day or two.

**godrifle** · February 22nd, 2006, 10:05 PM

Good that you're drawing your construction lines, but I still get the feeling that it's a bit flat... maybe try drawing the head at different angles to push things out a bit.

**Inkfish** · February 23rd, 2006, 04:25 AM

when painting digitally it's not a good idea to draw on white bg. When you start sculpting the form with light the whites tend to oversaturate your highlights, just a random tought for later

**rodrigo!** · February 23rd, 2006, 07:22 AM

thats exactly wat i mean, im glad i helped. I spose you should post up some studies that you do as well from those books, it would be good to see how you progress with those! You have the right attitude, just keep at it

**pogy366** · February 23rd, 2006, 10:22 AM

godrifle - true enough. i'll try that. i've never pushed myself with the concept of shading to convey mass and weight either. i think differnet angles and perspectives is the way to go.

Ink - that's why things don't seem quite right (along with other things i'm sure). Thanks for the suggestion, i'll defintely do that.

rodrigo - i appreciate it too! Any advice you float my way with life drawing and figures, it's a safe bet i'll be listening. i'm itching to just draw figures and anatomy, but i think i'll stick to just objects and basic shapes for about a week. i really need to get a handle on it before i move on.

**staylor** · February 25th, 2006, 08:40 PM

Nice improvement so far, the tablet sketches are pretty fun.

Just make sure your don't focus too much on lines and neglect form and shape, that's something I used to do and I'm paying for it now

**afgal** · February 25th, 2006, 10:12 PM

I really like your style.
~Kerry

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Sketchbook

**pogy366** · February 27th, 2006, 10:48 AM

staylor - i've realized that i go straight for details and ignore the basics and the overall shape. Something i have to get used to changing. No sense trying to tweak a pure pig of an image. Thanks.

afgal - thanks for checking it out!

**maxetormer** · March 21st, 2006, 02:19 PM

Yo Im into back in the game, I dont have as much time as I wanted
so this is just a quikie, you need to work on you perspective construccion,
make more exersices of cilider bodies and simple geometric shapes,
and post more studies, so that we can see how you develop your self,
I like your imagination do keep developing that as well!!